LOOKING GLASS

Icelandic skincare company Bioeffect's claims for its '30 Day Treatment' serum seemed incredible so we put it through its paces to see for ourselves...

BY AMY BRADFORD

'Many cosmetics companies promote their products with ‘before’ and ‘after’ studies that purport to show their remarkable effects on our complexions; some are more plausible than others. Having seen the photos for Bioeffect's '30 Day Treatment', I can testify that I – and a roomful of respected beauty journalists – were truly staggered by them. All the more so as the company doesn’t conduct studies to demonstrate how stupendous its formulas are; the transformation photos I was shown were submitted voluntarily by satisfied customers.

Being 20 years younger than the subjects I saw that day, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the treatment when I used it. I’d tested the brand’s signature 'EGF Serum', which like the '30 Day Treatment' uses a plant-derived epidermal growth factor to reverse signs of ageing. This product made me look incredibly pink and radiant, but was a little too greasy for everyday use on my breakout-prone skin. The '30 Day Treatment', designed to be applied at night, has a similar consistency (proceed with caution if you have oily skin), but absorbs well; this is an all-natural formula and will not produce the luxuriously plumping feel you get from a moisturising cream. If you feel the need to add something on top, the advice is to wait 10 minutes before applying it, to allow your skin to drink in the serum’s active ingredients first.

I found the texture a little greasy for my taste, but persevered with application on the fine lines around my eyes and mouth, and on my neck. A few weeks later there was a noticeable difference in the depth of wrinkles and in my upper neck, which looked more taut. In an older tester with more pronounced signs of ageing, I imagine the results would be much more dramatic. Overall, I’d say this: if you’ve reached the point where you have real issues with ageing, this would be worth the investment; if you’re under 40, perhaps wait a little longer. One day, when the time is right, I’ll be back for more!'

BELOW:'Bioeffect 30 Day Treatment', £210. The rest of the range starts at £30.

DesignFizz's male Editor in Chief Dee Iva: 'When I saw the claims that Bioeffect was making I decided to test the '30 Day Treatment' too. I applied it to the areas under my eyes, which can be puffy at times, and the lines around my mouth. In a very short space of time the lines and puffiness were dramatically reduced. In addition to this I had an accident with a hot cup of coffee which scalded my left hand. Having read that the serum helps to regenerate skin, I applied it to my hand. It helped the skin repair itself very quickly and there is no visible sign of the scar now.

It is quite greasy so I used really tiny amounts and rubbed it into my skin. And though it appears to be expensive, used sparingly (as I did) each ampoule lasted about a month so the '30 Day Treatment' can actually last around three months making it very good value for money indeed.' See our earlier feature on Bioeffect and its distinctive packaging design here.bioeffect.combioeffect.co.uk

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